Yarn finger for knitting machines



Aug. 18, 193 w THE "2,051,701

YARN FINGER FOR KNITTING MACHINES Filed March 5, 1935 INVENTOR IVAN w. GROTHEY BY HIS ATTORNEYS Patented Aug. 18, 1936 UNITED STATES PATENTv OFFICE YARN FINGER FOR KNITTING MACHINES Application March 5, 1935, Serial No. 9,483

11 Claims. (01. 66133) This invention relates to knitting machines and more particularly to the yarn fingers or guides which feed the yarns to the needles and it is an object of this invention to provide a yarn finger and an operating means therefor which will insure the yarn fed by the yarnguide being taken by a predetermined needle and fed only to predetermined needles where the yarn is fed to the needles for a portion of each course during a number of successive courses as in feeding a splicing or reinforcing yarn in the knitting of a high splice or a reinforced sole. It is also an object of this invention to provide a yarn finger which, in introducing a yarn to the needles, is lowered to a position close to the needles to insure the yarn being taken by the leading needle to which the yarn is to be fed and is then moved away from the needles in order to feed the yarn to the needles at the proper angle to insure the yarn taking its proper. position in relation to other yarn or yarns being fed to the needles at the same time. It is also an object of this invention to provide a yarn finger which, in withdrawing a yarn from the needles, is first moved towards the needles and then raised from the needles so as to insure the yarn being withdrawn at the predetermined needle.

In the drawing which illustrates the preferred form of this invention-- Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a yarn finger and its operating means which are constructed in accordance with this invention showing the parts separated and detached from the latch ring;

Fig. 2 is a perspective viewof the parts shown in Fig. 1 assembled in normal relation;

Fig. 3 is a sectional view of the latch ring showing in side elevation the yarn finger of Fig. 1 in position to introduce its yarn to the needles all but one yarn finger being omitted;

Fig. 4 is a view similar to Fig. 3 showing the position of the yarn finger after the yarn has been taken by the needles and the yarn finger moved back from the needles;

Fig. 5 is a view similar to Fig. 3 showing the yarn finger raised and the yarn withdrawn from the needles;

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary view of the latch ring of Fig. 3 showing the yarn fingers in front elevation and with the yarn finger constructed in accordance with this invention in the position shown in Fig. 3;

Fig. 7 is a view similar to Fig. 6 with the yarn finger constructed in accordance with this inven- 55 tion in the position shown in Fig. 4; and

Fig. 8 is a view in side elevation of a cam for operating the yarn finger.

In the drawing the invention is shown applied to a yarn finger of a Scott & Williams circular knitting machine such as is shown in the patent to Scott No. 1,152,850, issued September 7, 1915, the yarn finger to which the invention. is shown applied being the finger for furnishing reinforcing or splicing, yarn for reinforced soles or high splices and the needles to which the reinforcing yarn is fed being shown as raised higher than the other needles when passing the finger feeding the reinforcing yarn. The means for raising these needles may be such as is shown in the patent to Trudel and Dawson, No. 1,775,333, issued September 9, 1930.

In feeding reinforcing yarn to the needles, particularly in machines where additional yarns are fed to the needles for plating, it has been found that where the yarn finger closely approaches the needles the reinforcing yarn is not uniformly on the inside of the fabric. It has also been found that where the yarn finger feeding the reinforcing yarn is shortened so as to feed the reinforcing yarn at such an angle to the needles that it will lie uniformly on theinside of the fabric the yarn finger is too short to properly introduce the yarn to the needles, particularly where the cutter and clamping mechanism used is positioned as in the patent to Page, No. 1,919,123, issued July 18, 1933, as the angle which the yarn makes with the needles when it is held by the clamping mechanism is such that the yarn is not taken by the needles.

In order to obviate the above difficulties the yarn finger F for the reinforcing or splicing yarn which is placed in the usual position with respect to the yarn fingers F F F, F for the body and plating yarns is slotted, as at Ill, so it may be moved longitudinally as well as pivotally on the pin l2 which supports it, the pin I2 being mounted as usual in the latch guard ring 550. Adjacent the yarn finger F is a plate l4 pivotally mounted on the pin l2 and provided with a slot l6 which receives a pin l8 mounted in the yarn finger F the head of the pin 18 projecting beyond the plate 14 in position to be engaged by the lever or arm 20, also pivotally mounted on the pin l2. Plate I4 and lever arm 20 are provided with projections M and 20 respectively slotted to receive the ends of springs 22, the other ends of which are connected to brackets 24 supported from the latch guard ring. The lever arm 20 is also provided with a raised laterally projecting portion 26 in which is mounted an adjustable stop 28, the portion 26 being positioned so as to place the adjustable stop 28 over the latch ring 55!! and the stop 28 being adjusted to determine the lowermost position of the lever arm 20.

To operate the yarn finger F there is provided a push rod 450 which engages the lower curved edge of the plate l4 and is operated by an auxiliary drum 30 mounted on the main drive shaft 32 or other shaft which rotates synchronously with the needle cylinder so that the push rod 466 is raised and lowered during each revolution of the needle cylinder when the push rod is in engagement with the drum 30. As shown in Fig. 8, the drum 3!] is provided with contact portions 30 and 30* at different distances radially from the axis of the drum so as to hold the push rod at different vertical positions. In the position shown in Fig. 8 the push rod 460 is moved to its highest position causing the plate M to be raised and through engagement of the pin l8 in the slot l6 and beneath the arm 29 raising the yarn finger F and the lever arm 20 upwardly to the position shown in Fig. 5 against the action of the springs 22. As the push rod 460 passes over the contact portion 36 from the higher contact portion to the lower contact portion the push rod 460 is brought down, as by a spring, (not shown) permitting spring 22 to lower the plate M. The lever arm 20 is also returned by its spring 22 and through its engagement with the pin l8 brings down the yarn finger F simultaneously with the movement of the plate M, the yarn finger at that time taking the position as shown in Figure 3, closely adjacent to the needles. The operation of the push V downwardly the engagement of the pin I8 in the slot l6 of the plate l4 causes the yarn finger F to be moved longitudinally away from the needles, that is, from the position shown in Figure 3 to the position shown in Figure 4 in Which the reinforcing yarn is fed from the corner of the throat plate 559, the slot l 0 in the yarn finger F being of sufiicient length to permit this movement. As the yarn finger F is lowered to rest upon the throat plate 559 the adjustable stop 28 bears upon the latch guard ring 550 and the lever 20 engages the head of the pin l8 but does not bear thereon so there is no interference with the longitudinal movement of the yarn finger F As the drum 30 rotates and the push rod 460 moves over the contact portion 3011 between the low and high contact portions 30b and 30a of the drum 30 the plate I4 is moved upwardly and through the engagement of the pin H3 in the slot I6 moves the yarn finger F forward towards the needles, the lever arm 20* under the influence of spring 22 preventing any upward movement of the yarn finger F until the pin l8 reaches the lower end of the slot I6. Further movement of the push rod 46!) onto the high contact portion 30a of the drum 30 raises the plate I lv to the position shown in Figure 5, carrying with it the yarn guide F and the lever arm 20. The contact portions 300 and 30d of the drum 30 may be shaped to give the plate l4 movement at the desired rate and in lifting the plate [4 to raise the yarn finger F the contact portion 30d may be shaped so as to move the yarn finger F only partially towards the needles at the time the last raised needle takes the reinforcing yarn in each course thereby ensuring the withdrawing of the yarn at a predetermined needle and a clean edge to the reinforced section of the stocking, the further movement of the drum moving the yarn finger the remaining portion of its movement outwardly and then pivoting it about the pin l2.

To hold the yarn finger F out of operative position during the knitting of those portions of the stocking where the reinforcing yarn is not used the push rod 460 may be operated from the main drum of the machine to raise the plate l4 and the yarn finger F in the same manner as the push rods are controlled in the patent to Page, No. 1,627,337, issued May 3, 1927.

What is claimed is:- r

1. In a knitting machine, a yarn finger for feeding yarn to the needles, means supporting said finger for pivotal and longitudinal movement and means for operating said yarn finger. about its pivot in each of aplurality of successive courses to present a yarn closely adjacent to the needles and then shifting saidyarn finger bodily away from the needles to a position for feeding the yarn. l

2. In a knitting machine, a yarn finger for feeding yarn to the needles, means supporting said finger for pivotal and longitudinal movement and means for operating said yarn finger, said means shifting said yarn finger bodily towards the needles and then operating said yarn finger about its pivot to withdraw the yarn from the needles in each of a plurality of successive courses.

3. In a knitting machine, a yarn finger for feeding yarn to the needles, said yarn finger being mounted for pivotal and longitudinal movement and means for first operating said yarn finger pivotally to a position closely adjacent the needles to present the yarn to the needles and then longitudinally to place the yarn finger in feeding position in each of a plurality of successive courses.

4. In a knitting machine, a yarn finger for feeding yarn to the needles, said yarn finger being mounted for pivotal and longitudinal movement, and means for first operating said yarn finger pivotally to a position closely adjacent the needles to present the yarn to the needles and then longitudinally away from the needles to place the yarn finger in feeding position in each of a plurality of successive courses.

5. In a knitting machine, a yarn finger for feeding a body yarn to the needles, a pivotally mounted yarn finger for feeding a splicing yarn to the needles and means for operating said yarn finger, said means operating said yarn finger about its pivot to present the yarn to the needles and shifting said yarn finger bodily from the needles to feed the splicing yarn in uniform plating relation to the body yarn. r

6. In a knitting machine, a yarn finger for feeding yarn to the needles, a support about which said finger pivots, said finger being slotted longitudinally to receive said support, a plate pivotally mounted on said support, a pin and slot connection between said plate and finger and means for operating said plate, said finger being shifted longitudinally upon movement of said plate relatively to said finger.

'7. In a knitting machine, a yarn finger for feeding yarn to the needles, means supporting said finger for longitudinal movement to and from the needles, a pivotally mounted plate, means for operating said plate and a pin and slot connection between said finger and plate for shifting said finger longitudinally upon movement of said plate relatively to said finger.

8. In a knitting machine, a yarn finger for feeding yarn to the needles, means supporting said finger for movement to and from the needles, a pivotally mounted plate, means for operating said plate, a pin and slot connection between said finger and plate for shifting said finger relatively to the needles upon movement of said plate relatively to said finger and means preventing pivotal movement of said finger during movement of said plate relatively to said finger.

9. In a knitting machine, a yarn finger for feeding yarn to the needles, means supporting said finger for movement to and from the needles, a pivotally mounted plate having a, slot, means for operating said plate, a pin on said finger engaging in the slot in said plate for shifting said finger relatively to the needles upon movement of said plate relatively to said finger and means engaging said pin and preventing pivotal movement of said finger during movement of said plate relatively to said finger.

10. In a knitting machine, a pivotally mounted yarn finger for feeding yarn to the needles, and means for operating said yarn finger about its pivot to raise and lower said yarn finger in each of a plurality of successive courses, said yarn finger operating means shifting said yarn finger longitudinally toward the needles before the yarn finger is raised and longitudinally away from the needles after the yarn finger is lowered.

11. In a knitting machine, a yarn finger for feeding yarn to the needles, means supporting said finger for pivotal and longitudinal movement and means for operating said yarn finger about its pivot in each of a plurality of successive courses to present a yarn to the needles and then shifting said yarn finger longitudinally to feed the yarn while at a greater distance from the needles.

IVAN W. GROTHEY.

CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION.

Patent No 2, 0 5} 701 August 18, 1956.

It is hereby certified that error appears in the printed specification of the above numbered patent requiring correction follows: Page 2, second column, line 66, claim 5, after "yarn" insert the Words in each of a plurality of successive courses; and that the said Letters Patent should be read with this correction therein that the same may conform to the record of the case in the Patent Office.

Signed and sealed this 29th day of September, A. D. 1936.

Henry Van Arsdale (seal) Acting Commissioner of Patents. 

